Demographic Comparison of Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata (F.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) Reared on Three Cultivars of Solanum melongena L. and a Wild Hostplant Solanum nigrum L.

Abstract

Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata (F.) is a widespread pest found on many solanaceous vegetables. The development and fecundity of H. vigintioctopunctata were studied on three cultivars ('Zihong', 'Eyou', and 'Baijiao') of eggplant, Solanum melongena L., using the two-sex life table theory. These results were then compared with similar parameters from a wild alternate host, Solanum nigrum. Our results showed that there were no significant differences between the developmental times of the larval stages, pupae, oviposition period, adult longevity, and the fecundity of H. vigintioctopunctata reared on the three eggplant cultivars. The survival rates of H. vigintioctopunctata larvae reared on the three eggplant cultivars were higher than that on S. nigrum. The fecundity of H. vigintioctopunctata adults reared on S. nigrum (724.12 eggs), however, was significantly higher than on each of the three eggplant cultivars. The values for the intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ), and net reproductive rate (R0) for H. vigintioctopunctata when reared on S. nigrum were 0.1225 d-1,1.1303 d-1, and 299.6 offspring, respectively. Each of these was significantly higher than comparable values when reared on the cultivar Eyou and Baijiao but were not different from those reared on the Zihong. Our results indicated that H. vigintioctopunctata is well adapted to all tested host plant cultivars and that S. nigrum is an important alternate wild hostplant that may potentially contribute to future outbreaks of H. vigintioctopunctata if not taken into consideration when planning an integrated control strategy against the pest.

Effect of Dietary Protein and Carbohydrates on Survival and Growth in Larvae of the Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata (F.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

“…However, the situation is remarkably different for H. vigintioctopunctata adults, where the adults have the ability to manage imbalances by compensatory food selection. Wang et al (2017) and Zhou et al (2015) reported that the survival rate of H. vigintioctopunctata larvae was significantly higher on eggplant than it was on S. nigrum , while the fecundity of adults on eggplant was significantly lower than on S. nigrum . Their results indicate that, based on the reduced survival rates, the larvae were considerably less adapted on S. nigrum , than were the adults, where their fecundity was increased.…”

“…The phytophagus ladybug beetle, Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata (F.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), typically feeds on Solanaceae plants such as black nightshade in the wild, but has adapted to many cultivated crops including tomato, potato, eggplant, etc. H. vigintioctopunctata is widespread throughout much of China ( Zhou et al 2015 , Wang et al 2017 , Huang et al 2018 ) and Japan ( Nakamura 1976 , Kawazu 2014 , Sharma et al 2012 ). The nutritional value of food plants varies considerably depending on the plant type, age, and growing conditions ( Bernays and Chapman 1994 , Awmack and Leather 2002 ).…”

“…( Raubenheimer and Simpson 1997 ). Presently, lab populations of H. vigintioctopunctata are raised almost exclusively on natural host plants ( Wang et al 2017 ). This system of continually supplying host plant leaves as the diet for lab populations of H. vigintioctopunctata can be very cumbersome, both time- and labor-intensive, especially during the winter season when obtaining host plants may be difficult ( Han et al 2012 ).…”

Expression of a gene for an MLX56 defense protein derived from mulberry latex confers strong resistance against a broad range of insect pests on transgenic tomato lines

“…Therefore, novel protection methods to control thrips are needed, and it seems worthwhile to examine whether MLX56 could be effective. Meanwhile, the hadda beetle, Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata (Coleoptera: Henosepilachna), is known to be an important pest in Solanaceae crops such as potato and eggplant in several countries, including Taiwan, China and India [18,19]. Screening of varieties for resistance to H. vigintioctopunctata has been studied [20,21].…”

Feeding Delivery of dsHvSnf7 Is a Promising Method for Management of the Pest Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

“…In the past decade, a number of studies have been published on the application of RNAi for the control of pests from a wide range of insect orders, including the Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, and Orthoptera [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]; coleopterans, such as the western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) [7], the red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum), and Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) [15] have been shown to be highly susceptible to dsRNAs. Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is one of the most economically important insect pests in Asia, causing significant damage to vegetables, particularly those in the Solanaceae [16,17]. Currently, this species is mainly controlled by chemical pesticides [18]; however, against the background of the requirement for negative growth of pesticide use in China, there is an urgent need to develop non-chemical pest-specific alternatives with new modes of action for the control of H. vigintioctopunctata.…”